Circumcision

~Jennifer - posted on 06/29/2010

Well, Ladies.....I think it's time to cut this off.
Thanks for your replies.

~Jenn~
Moderator

Ashley - posted on 06/29/2010

OK I THOUGHT THIS CIRCLE OF MOMS BULLCRAP is for mothers to come here and ask questions based on what they need. And to post and help others. It is nothing like that all you pro-uncircumcised are attacking the other mothers for telling Amber that they had there boys done and all is good with it. And then another mom comes on here saying its mutulation, its barbaric, UK vs. States. Like seriously, even one of the modeators was being out right rude. IF IT IS MUTULATION AND BARBARIC, IT WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE TO DO!! Right like who are you to say its barbaric? Its available, it was alot more common before, but its still available. Doctors do still recommend it, alot of people grew up knowing circumcision. Like what with the attacks, this website is susposed to be for mothers to come and be comfortable about what they write on it.

Sherri - posted on 06/29/2010

Guess so since 76% of our state is still doing circumcisions.

K - posted on 06/29/2010

Minor procedure...? I can see that your family/community history of circumcision has desensitized you to the issue. There isn't much else to be said at this point.

Sherri - posted on 06/29/2010

They didn't even cringe or whimper when I changed there diapers after the procedure and it was pretty much healed in 3 or 4 days. It is such a minor procedure and I think they benefited from it in the long run so no I think it was no big deal my husband and family on both sides agree. All of the males on both sides are circumcised. Adults and children. We wouldn't have it any other way.

K - posted on 06/29/2010

Well, thorough research by doctors and scientists says that your babies could have felt pain. And if they didn't during, they most certainly did after. Why is it that you think ripping an organ off of an infant is "no big deal"? How is that no big deal to you? No big deal. I can't get over that statement.

Sherri - posted on 06/29/2010

I didn't have to pay a dime it is still paid a 100% by insurance and was recommended for all three of my children at the hospital. I know that my children didn't feel a thing they were absolutely fine with it and were back in my arms within 5 mins. I was there you were not so I think I would know a little bit more if they were in pain then you would Krystal sorry. But it really is no big deal in the least. I would do it all over again in a heart beat without even a second thought.

Adrienne - posted on 06/29/2010

First of all I wanna say that to each their own. I had all three of my sons circumsized because their daddy is. Also because I have known a few guys that weren't and because they got an infection later on in life they circumsized him then. But one bad thing about having my oldest son done was that they didn't do it right and had to redo it at about 15 months. (I never would do that again at that age! Poor thing.) My mother just told me that some place you have to pay $600 to get it done. Here you only need to pay the hospital $100 and the doctor who did it $120.

K - posted on 06/29/2010

Cutting a healthy organ off of a healthy human being is absolutely a big deal.

K - posted on 06/29/2010

When an anesthetic is used, it relieves only some but not all of the pain, and its effect wanes before the post-operative pain does.( 14) Because no experimental anesthetic has been found to be safe and effective in preventing circumcision pain, research in this area continues. Meanwhile, some physicians’ views about the use of anesthesia during circumcision grow more intense. In a recent medical article on the subject, the writers described circumcision without pain relief as “barbaric.”( 15) Another physician wrote that subjecting an adult to the same practice would be “unfathomable.”( 16)

http://www.circumcision.org/response.htm...

K - posted on 06/29/2010

You can't say they don't feel anything. You don't know, you've never been circumcised. You simply cannot say that with any certainty. So don't tell yourself or other people that to feel better about your choice.

http://www.drmomma.org/2009/11/circumcis...

Sherri - posted on 06/29/2010

They are given a numbing agent it is basically the same thing as novocaine when pulling a tooth. They don't feel anything. It is absolutely no big deal. I did what I thought was right for my children. I never had any regrets and will also circumcise any further boys I may have as well. I will also strongly advocate for any of there children to be circumcised as well.

Charlie - posted on 06/29/2010

Just to add to Krystle's post many babies appear to go quiet or asleep because they have gone into shock , its one of the bodies many coping mechanisms , it has been proven that babies start to feel pain well before they they are even born .

SCIENTISTS have shown for the first time that new-born babies have a "unique" nervous system which makes them respond differently to pain from adults.

In research that has far-reaching implications for the medical and surgical treatments of infants, the scientists have found that newborn children feel pain longer and more sensitively. In premature babies, the mechanism that allows older children and adults to "dampen down" the pain messages does not work properly.

Until now it has been presumed that a baby's pain system was too immature to function properly, or that they reacted in a similar way to adults but less efficiently.
Researchers at University College London have now discovered that babies' sensory systems have a unique pain-signalling mechanism, which disappears as they grow older. This makes them feel pain sooner than an older child or adult and because of different "wiring" they can react to stimulation as if it is pain - even when it is not.

Peggy - posted on 06/29/2010

I felt the same way as u, I now have 2 son that aren't and they have had no problems.

K - posted on 06/29/2010

It actually does hurt them. Babies feel pain. They used to perform open heart surgeries on babies because they thought babies didn't feel pain. Half of the time numbing attempts don't even help the infant because of the nerves involved. I am so sick of hearing people say that it's no big deal. It's a huge deal. It's also incredibly ignorant to say that you'd never want to see an intact penis.
Seriously, grow up.

Jodi - posted on 06/29/2010

I think Rebecca means to say that with a circumcised boy you have to look after it for a few days following the circumcision......just thought I should clarify that.

Charlie - posted on 06/29/2010

Melissa Luttke -

The original poster has asked specifically for the pro's and con's of circumcision hence the differing of opinions expressed in this thread .

Rebecca - posted on 06/29/2010

I didn't get my son circumcised. I think your doing the right thing. There is a difference in the up keep. With circumcised boy you have to look after it and with a non circumcised boy you don't. He won't get any infections unless you pull back the skin. You should never pull back the skin for cleaning. It cleans it's self and when he is old enough he will start pulling it back by himself when he is exploring himself. The only time you will get an infection is when people think they have to clean under it and pull the skin back.

Nicole - posted on 06/29/2010

We researched & chose to have it done when he was only a day old...thank goodness our son acted like he barely felt a thing...was sleeping when they brought him back...it healed quickly & beautifully...one of my wise older friends told me this...those who say "just teach them to clean it" have obviously never had a teenage son...

Melissa - posted on 06/29/2010

so much for no ear bashing, why as women must we put other decisions down can we all not agree that we have all done and are doing the best thing we believe for our children.
my son was circumsized at 6 weeks old on request from his father which i respected.end of story who cares what the pros and cons are point being they both have pros and cons and its up to you and your potential fathers to make the decision for your son. best of luck.

Tara - posted on 06/29/2010

Okay, so some people are worried that their child will look different in the locker room~~~ if I were a guy in a locker room the last thing I would be caught staring at is another guys penis. Doing that would illicit more laughs and finger pointing than any uncirc. or circ. penis.

To look like their father/brother etc.~~~~~~~ boy penises and man penises look different anyhow, dad is bigger, thicker longer etc. has hair etc. boy penises do not.

To say it is better for cleanliness, do your research, an intact penis has it's own protection it's called a foreskin.
You wouldn't put soap in a little girls vagina (that would be considered abuse btw) to clean it, foreskin are also self-cleaning until they retract on their own, and really than it's just a matter of simply pulling it back and washing with water. (lots of guys masterbate in the shower, so this will keep things clean on a regular basis too)

A friend of mine recently had her son cut, he now has "no penis" he is 5 months old and it looks like there is a hole where the penis should be, the doctor told her it's normal and the penis should come back out eventually!! How do you keep that clean??????
When you put him at 5 months and my 7 month old together in the bath, you can see the HUGE difference, my guy looks like he is a boy, her's looks like he is missing that part of his anatomy. His penis will reappear sometime in his life (so says the doctor) but my guy's penis will always be here.

To say that men who have been "cut" are happy and wouldn't have it any other way, well I imagine if they could have told you before the procedure they would have said "no please don't cut off part of my body"

To say "to each their own" is wrong. Everyone seems to forget that the foreskin belongs to someone else, the baby boy!!!

To say "prevents possible infection" is ridiculous, if we did procedures for possible problems, let's start removing all their appendixes, (unlike the foreskin science can't figure out why we have an appendix anyway) and how about tonsils? They seems to get infected in children far more often than foreskins, let's take those out the first week of life too, just to be safe y'know.

All the pro-circ arguments are seriously flawed. IT is mutilation, it is in humane and it is wrong. It denies a man his right to an intact penis, he has the born right to sexual satisfaction, he has the right to decide for himself if he wants a piece of his body cut off.
This is a barbaric procedure that has no place in a civilized society. We are supposed to protect our babies from harm, and then people go and willingly put their babies through unjust pain and suffering, all for someone else's twisted beliefs about what someone elses penis should look like.
So really in a nut shell most people who do this to their children are doing it in the name of vanity. Shameful. Basically saying there is something wrong with my new baby, he has a foreskin, OFF with it!!!
Babies are born perfect. Leave them that way for goodness sake. Stop thinking of yourself, your friends, your family and start thinking about the fact your son is a man, he is a human being, he is a person. And this is cosmetic surgery done on a minor without their consent. Should be against the law in my opinion.

Katrina - posted on 06/29/2010

Hi Amber, im from Ireland, we do not circumcise our boys nd as far as im aware none ov the men in dis country have no problems, in saying dat, my son is circumcised as de opening ov his penis was too tight nd he had problems going to the toilet, he got a bad in fection, he is 4 now nd it dusnt bother him except when he see his brother in the bath nd asks me why his will is not bigger, god love him, all i can do is giggle, but on a serious note, its yur decision in de long run, dont be letting anyone else tell you wot way to raise yur child, after all, you carried him for 9 mths nd you went throu labour, hope all goes well for yeh pet, x x x

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

Jodi because my 13 and 11 yr old asked me point blank what an uncircumcised penis looked like. So the easiest way to explain was to show them. What else was I supposed to do. Geesh!!

Karla - posted on 06/28/2010

I have two sons and at the time they were born, their dad did not want them circumcised. I went along with his decision. My oldest son had to be circumcised when he was two years. His foreskin was very tight and he started having problems urinating. My youngest son never had any problems (36yrs old now). It is a matter of choice and neither decision is wrong. Some doctors suggest it and others don't care one way or another. Due to shorter hospital stays, a lot of parents are not getting their child circumcised.

Minnie - posted on 06/28/2010

Good god I don't care that your kids aren't circumcised



I guess what confuses me about this statement is that you clearly said in a previous post in this thread that you think every male should be circumcised.

Minnie - posted on 06/28/2010

(10 things.... I would like to look at with my mom..)

BAHAHAHAHA!

Jodi - posted on 06/28/2010

I don't care that they are circumcised, my son is too. I don't feel the need to justify my choice, at the time it was much more common to do so anyway. I guess I was just confused as to why you felt the need to show your kids pictures of an uncircumcised penis online.......

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

Whatever I am done. I am not sheltered it is the norm in my part of the country. You handle your children the way you want and kids do look at least here they do. So believe what you want I will do what I want but I am tired of getting crucified for doing what I thought was best for my kids. Good god I don't care that your kids aren't circumcised why does everyone else care that mine are.

Jodi - posted on 06/28/2010

Sherri, can I be blatantly honest? Boys don't look at each other's penis's in the locker room. Seriously, they don't.

And there are MUCH more productive ways to show your children differences in penis's without them being horrified. When I sat down and had the "talk" with my son, the book I gave him has drawings of various different penis's, with the message that every penis is different, and none of them are any better than the other, they are just all different. I think that is a much better message to give to our children, whether circumcised or not.

Just for the record, my son is circumcised, my step son isn't, and do you know what? Neither of them CARE :) They don't sit there examining one another's penis's!!!! Or anyone else's for that matter.

Shannen - posted on 06/28/2010

Why is it such a big issue? If you want your son done then get it but if you dont then don't and move on for goodness sake.
Sherri is obviously sheltered and Sherri if you re-read my post i aimed it at mothers who were going on about it for hygene reasons which like i said is utter BS.

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

Yes I went on line because they didn't know what one looked like and asked about it so I pulled one up not on a porno site but a doctors site. They were curious so they weren't weirded out by me.

Nete - posted on 06/28/2010

eee.... you showed your kids pictures of penises on line??
Thats a bit disturbing!! ... no wonder they where horrified ..
(10 things.... I would like to look at with my mom..)
you don't think it will be sufficient that they will adopt almost anything you tell them, without the graphics ..
regarding your comment of ...better..
I apologies here, call me creasy.... but I'm going to have to go with mother nature ..God.. whatever you prefer to name it... over Man kind ... any day
If boy's where not intended to have foreskin, they would be born without it ...

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

Okay I don't know about the neighbors etc. I was meaning that I come in contact with on a daily basis in my personal life.



They were horrified because honestly we all were because we had never seen an intact penis in our lives and I am 38 yrs old. They had never seen one in there's so they were weirded out by it.

Minnie - posted on 06/28/2010

Maybe you live in a little podunk town, Sherri? Because when you say that you know that 'everyone you come into contact with' is circumcised, that makes me think of every single child at school, your neighbors, the garbage guy, the dude behind the counter at the supermarket,etc.



(And I grew up in a podunk town of 300 people) It STILL is creepy to even care about the status of others' penises



I think that you probably are placing your own biases on your children- why else would they be 'horrified' when they saw a natural penis? What are their reactions when they see anyone who looks different than they do? Are people where you live that closed-in that everyone is a carbon-copy of one another?

Josie - posted on 06/28/2010

When I had my son a lot of people straight up asked me if I cercumsized him... Honestly, i was a little bothered, why would people care about my son's penis? And when I would say no I didn't, they would ask if my husband was cercumsized... Honestly, what the??? I would never have the balls to ask a friend if their husband is cercumsized!

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

I know my whole family is why would I not know this. My dad I have seen, My brother, cousins why wouldn't I know. And because of this board I have brought up this subject on more than one occasion and so yes I definitely know that no one I know is married to or with an intact male either. I have changed the diapers on every one of my kids friends so I know everyone of them are circumcised as well. My kids would have never seen an intact male and were horrified when I showed them photos on line of one. So I know they have NEVER seen one in person. All the kids change in front of each other locker rooms, bathrooms etc at school so I know they would know if someone was different.

~Jennifer - posted on 06/28/2010

Well, maybe it's because of our 'ass backwards' country, but I've heard every new mom that I know (that chose to do it) say things like " He's being circumcised tomorrow, and then we'll be bringing him home"....so, honestly, it's no big shock that anyone should know 'penile status', if they're in your immediate circle of friends or family.....

Minnie - posted on 06/28/2010

Seriously! The ONLY men whose state of intactedness I know are my husband and my brother.

Krista - posted on 06/28/2010

That's a good point, Lisa. The only men about whom I would know their circumcision status are the men with whom I've slept. I have no idea if any other men I know are circumcised, nor do I particularly care to know.

Karla - posted on 06/28/2010

One of my boys were circumsized and one isn't. As a new mom, it was difficult for me to know that happened b/c I heard him scream out through the nursery windows. Then taking care of it and seeing it that way made my heart hurt for him. You know it has to hurt when they urinate. My husband made the decision not to circumsize our last son and I am happy with that decision. There have been no problems at all. He is normal, healthy and happy. If he chooses to have it done one day, then that will be his decision and if it has to be done medically, then he'll be old enough to deal with it. You make a choice and stick to it no matter what people say. It is YOUR baby. I had a lot of grief about it too, but I went with my gut. Always go with that gut feeling especially with your baby. Good luck!

Minnie - posted on 06/28/2010

Sherri- truly- how many men are going to have a lookie at your son's genitals while he's growing up? The only people who saw mine while I was growing up was a doctor and my parents.



Why would anyone else's opinon on the way your son's penis looks matter? THAT is creepy. It's really odd to me that everyone you know share's the state of everyone's privates. How do you know that everyone you have come into contact with is circumcised? "Hi! Nice to meet you! I circumcised my sons- how about you!"

Nete - posted on 06/28/2010

great irony here is, that I still, to this day... remember the talk of the town, where I grew up, - the one boy who had been circumcised.. no one made fun, but everyone felt bad for him...
I can't help wonder, if there have been any studies to see if there is a correlation between E.D and circumcision and if E.D is more common in men there have undergone the procedure, than those who have not ... does anyone know if such studies have been undertaken?

Krista - posted on 06/28/2010

So Sherri, that means that almost a quarter of the men in your state AREN'T circumcised? That is not an insubstantial amount. So obviously not everybody in your state agrees with you, hospital recommendations or not.

And I find it very odd that your local hospitals ARE recommending circumcisions, seeing as the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend routine neonatal circumcision....

Josie - posted on 06/28/2010

So if your child is the only kid in school with blonde hair you will dye their hair as to not be different? I'm sorry I just don't get it. What happens when he steps out of the little bubble you put him in and realizes that, oh crap - EVERYONE is different? To me it's just not a good enough reason to cut off a piece of a body part. To each their own.

Sherri - posted on 06/28/2010

Where I live he would be the only one that isn't circumcised 76% of our entire state is circumcised so the likely hood in there childhoods they will ever come in contact with an intact male is not likely. My kids are 13, 11 & 4 and so far everyone that we have been in contact with have all been circumcised.

Josie - posted on 06/28/2010

Why do people say "oh he will look different if you don't circumsize him", how is that a reasonable argument? Number 1, he most likely won't be the only kid to not be circumsized and number 2, EVERYONE on this planet looks different.

Nete - posted on 06/28/2010

I don't know, how other peoples opinion.. can possible be a good argument for cutting off a body part on you child..
- would you cut of a hand, if that was popular ?
Hopefully by the time your son grows up, people will have learned the earth is no longer flat!

Tara - posted on 06/28/2010

It's his foreskin, not yours, not his possible father/s, not your friends, your family etc. that is HIS piece of anatomy and only he should be allowed to make the choice to have it removed.
I have a 17 yr and a 14 yr old boys, neither was circumsized, and until the foreskin retracts by itself, there are no extra cleaning regiments involved and by that age most boys can wash themselves. I never ever pulled their foreskin back for cleaning, it is ATTACHED with a membrane that will over time as his penis grows, shrink and dissappear all together.
You are making the RIGHT and in my opinion the MORALLY responsible one. Just cause two people create life does NOT mean they can decide to remove parts of their bodies, not to look themselves, not to prevent possible problems, not to decide that he should have less sexual sensation when he's older, not to deny him the right to his natural body
Leave that foreskin intact. I'm sure if you do and then ask him when he is 14 if he would rather you had it cut off, he will thank you for not doing it.
:)just my not so humble opinion. Tara

Amanda - posted on 06/28/2010

It is my belief that God put everything on our bodies for a reason. Foreskin has a purpose. How on earth did our society come to this. I have researched the subject and I found interesting facts that state that the foreskin is there for pleasureable reasons. During penetration the skin is pushed back and mounds at the base of the penis therefore giving direct pressure to the females clitoris. It makes perfect sense to me why now would you wanna take that away from a man. sorry for being so vulgar but I find the subject very interesting. My husband of course opposes my view and says it is something we should do cause it is more attractive and he won't be different. I strongly believe God made us in his perfect image and thats the way it should be. Hope that helps. Good Luck in your decision.

Jessie - posted on 06/28/2010

My son was circumsized because his father is. no real other reason and I would have been fine if he hadnt been. I think you should do what you as a mother feel is best for your child because even if it IS your first child, mother knows best. I learned this the hard way with my son. People (doctors, nurses, family) thought I was being a paranoid new mother on more than one occassion and I turned out to be correct each time. Ex: he devoloped breastmilk jaundice at 5 days old because he wasnt nursing often enough (he slept too much at first) and he had to turn yellow in the eyes before anyone would believe me, or when he had an umbilical hernia (I read about it in a book so my boyfriend/mother thought I was being paranoid) and had to have surgery at 2 months old for it. The point being, you know best for your child